And employers need to be geared up for that.

There are many rules and regulations governing employment designed to give everyone a fair chance in the jobs market. While it's easy to read the manual it's vital to keep up to date, refreshing your own knowledge, reworking internal policies, procedures and documents and ensuring everyone keeps in line.

Diversity is about more than simply ensuring everyone is given the same job opportunities. It is about respecting individual differences in relation to how businesses approach and treat staff – and customers.

This year's Employment Law Breakfast Briefing, which we jointly host, is focusing on some important changes in laws affecting diversity.

Hegarty LLP Solicitors' employment partners Martin Bloom and Tim Thompson will be discussing, among other topics, the impact and effect of changes in the sex discrimination law and giving an update on disability discrimination law following a recent landmark case which has shaken up this area.

The seminar, open to HR and business professionals from Greater Peterborough, is just one way of ensuring knowledge banks are kept up to date and pertinent.

Online HR forums can be very useful for seeking out advice and expertise and of course the usual professional groups, periodicals and websites can help too.